2 N.Y. School Bus Drivers Contract Coronavirus

Officials said the two drivers reportedly drive small school buses, transporting approximately 80 students on several routes.

Sadiah Thompson・Assistant Editor

March 11, 2020

2 min to read

NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. — Two school bus drivers here have tested positive for the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, officials said.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said during a press briefing on Tuesday that two of the county’s school bus drivers tested positive for the Coronavirus. Both drivers, according to Curran, drive small school buses, transporting approximately 80 students on various routes. She also said that most of the families of those students have been contacted by the Nassau County Department of Health and that they are working to contact the remaining families.

The two cases prompted several school closures for Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, Locust Valley Central School District, Westbury Union Free School District, Glen Cove City School District, as well as some private schools, Curran said.

Laura Seinfield, the superintendent for Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, notified parents on Monday that the district’s schools would be closed on Tuesday due to "two individuals employed by our transportation contractor who transport community students to locations other than our district schools have tested positive for COVID-19." At this time, Seinfield said there have been no confirmed cases among the district's students or staff.

Seinfield issued another statement on Tuesday announcing that Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District's schools would reopen on Wednesday and that the contractor has taken the buses in question out of service and sanitized its entire bus fleet, which it will continue to do regularly. She also said that the contractor informed the district about their plan to treat high-contact surfaces with commercial, hospital-grade disinfectant products.

On Wednesday morning, Curran held another press briefing, in which she confirmed that Nassau County has a total of 25 reported cases of COVID-19.

Topics:COVID-19 driver wellness emergency planning New York Safety

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